*pre-calc test, probably a trig question though*Hi, i took a math test today and there was a bonus at the end and i was wondering what anyone thinks (i had a double period of math and the bonus took about a full one. if you didnt want to do the bonus you could have gone to the cafeteria but i wanted to try it). so the question went something like(it was a pic): the lengths of a baseball field from home plate all the way down the left and right sidelines is 300 ft. home to first and home to third is 90 ft(obviously leaving 210 for the remainder of the sideline). from home straight down the middle all the way is 400ft. and what we had to try and do was find the best length for the back curve of the field. if anyone can help id appreciate it, im very curious.

Hell0 wrote:...the question went something like(it was a pic): the lengths of a baseball field from home plate all the way down the left and right sidelines is 300 ft. home to first and home to third is 90 ft(obviously leaving 210 for the remainder of the sideline). from home straight down the middle all the way is 400ft. and what we had to try and do was find the best length for the back curve of the field.

How was "best length" defined? Were you given any information about the type of curve being used for the backfield wall (a parabola? the arc of a circle? something else?)?

Hell0 wrote:...the question went something like(it was a pic): the lengths of a baseball field from home plate all the way down the left and right sidelines is 300 ft. home to first and home to third is 90 ft(obviously leaving 210 for the remainder of the sideline). from home straight down the middle all the way is 400ft. and what we had to try and do was find the best length for the back curve of the field.

How was "best length" defined? Were you given any information about the type of curve being used for the backfield wall (a parabola? the arc of a circle? something else?)?

just the back of the field, no other information. from one end to to other, obviously some type of curve, not a straight line. thanks for replying

alright im onto something. im just wondering if you know how to find the distance between 2 points with the slope, is there a formula? is it even possible to find the distance with only a slope...?haha

Hell0 wrote:alright im onto something. im just wondering if you know how to find the distance between 2 points with the slope, is there a formula? is it even possible to find the distance with only a slope...?haha

A straight line has the same slope all along itself. But, given one point on that line, there are infinitely-many points on the line to either side of that original point. Thus, there are infinitely-many "distance" values for pairs of points on a line, even though every pair will generate the same slope value.

So, no, it is entirely impossible to find the distance between two (unspecified) points if one only knows the slope of the line on which those points lie.